Rail joint



Oct. 1 1, 1932. E. w. CARUTHERS 1,882,406

yRAIL JOINT Filed Ang. .14, 1929 2 sheets-snee: 1

Get. 1l,

1932. E. w. C

ARUTHERs RAIL JOINT Filed Aug. 14, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 11, 1932 UNITED STATES EUGENE'W. CARUTHERS, or s'EcANE, PENNSYLVANIA RAIL JOINT Application led August 14, 1929. Serial No. 385,793. v

My invention relates to the oints made between railway rails by means of splice bars.

One purpose of my invention is to eliminate lateral deformation and all lateral movement of a splice bar by reason of a load or spaced loads passing over the joint containing the bar.

A further purpose is to support the base of the bar at all times, to prevent movement otherwise caused by the tendency of the base of the bar to move laterally, chiefly inwardly toward the rail web when the load is applied, thus securing more constant rail joint conditions than would otherwise be available.

A further purpose is to pivot a splice bar against the base of the rail and at'the same time to cause the splice bar to cooperate to advantage with either full head support, or freedom for head movement at a distance from the web, as may be dictated by the needs of use or preference of the designer.

A further purpose is to reduce lateral deformation and tendency of the base of the bar to move bodily either 4toward oraway from the rail web because of loads, whether the loads be actually at the joint or to varying degrees be bridged across it.

A further purpose is to provide a curved surface of contact between the lower portion of the bar and the rail base, so that the amount of surface in contactrwill be substantially unchanged within the limits of working conditions as the angular relation of the bar to the vertical neutral axis of the rail is changed by tightening or loosening the track bolt or other suitable fastening device.

A further purpose is to pivot a splice bar at its base, providing the entire take-up under the head. Where desired this permits me to accommodate the take-up movement of the bar by arcuate bearing of the track bolts i5 upon it. Y

A further purpose is to provide splice bars which are reversible side for side and which are to pivot about their bases.

A further purpose is to hold as nearly horizontal as possible the neutral zone about which the resisting moments of the bar are resolved. v

`Further purposes will appear in the specication and in the claims. V

I have preferred to illustrate my invention by but one main form with variations in the structure with which it is used, selecting a form which is practical, eicient and thoroughly reliable, and which at the same time well illustrates the principles involved. In the drawings the` transverse sections shown in Figures l, 2, 3 and 4 illustrate `various applications of which I` regard as broadly the same invention. Of these figures, Y 3 and 4 are drawn to a reduced scale as compared with Figures 1 and 2.

Figures 5, 6 and 7 arediagrammatic viewsl illustrating splice bar face positions at different heights, along the head, the web and Vthe base of the splice bar, respectively. v

These figures are greatly exaggerated in lateral dimensions, are exaggerated to the same scale, and 'are intendedv to give some idea of relative proportion rather than the amount of lateral distortion of the `in the prior art.

Figure 8 is a reduced fragmentary section of a prior art form illustrating diagrammatically a change of neutral axis or zone occurring under load. j I

In the drawings similar numerals indicate like parts.

Explaining the structure of Figure 1 first, in description and vnot in limitation The rail 6 is typical 'of railroad rails and is not intended to be specific to any individual form. It comprises the head 7, web 8 andV flange 9, and presents the web-head fillet 10 and the web-fiange fillet 11, as wellas under face 12 of the head, and upwardly directed face 13 of the flange.

The splice bars are intended to be typical also and comprise as shown heads 14, 14', 142

splice'bars asused i and 143, webs 15 and bases 16, landlz.

They are held in position by any suitable means, as,'for example, bytrack bolts 17. My invention contemplates holding the base of the splice bar against a fixed abutment, preferably the rail web. Thel lower inner surface 18 of the base of the splice bar, is

' clamped against the abutment; as shown it v sockets at the base of the rail web at or about the junction of the webl and base flange, such as at or about the fillet 11. This fillet is often too small to well serve my purpose. Since it occupies the position at which the pivoting of the base is most effective, I regard the base as rocking in the fillet even if it merely engage the rail about the fillet.

The purposes to bejserved are, that the conf tact with the railhold against lateral movement of the bar, take the vertical thrust transmitted through the bar to the base'from the rail head and serve as a pivot point for taking up the wear on the bar and head.

Since the splice bar need not be supported against the outer part of the flange of the rail, the bar may, be relieved at 19. The splice bar will have substantially no lateral movement, and will swing about the base as permitted by wear at the face 12 and the under face of the rail head, so as to leave the lower surface 19 free from contact with the flange of the rail in any event as soon as the bar tilts because of wear at the head. Initial contact or absence of initial contact between the surface 19 and the upwardly directed flange surface 13 is, therefore, relatively immaterial, provided the surface 19 does not prevent seating of the bar near the junction of the web and flange as in fillet 11, nor exert wedge action against the rail flange, tending .to force or tilt the bar upwardly.

The head face 2O (Figures 1, 3 and 4) or 20 (Figure 2) must properly support the head of the rail, and with wear will move inwardly toward the web to maintain this support, It may be preferable to have the under face 12 of the head of the rail initially almost completely supported by the head face 2O as in Figures 1, 3 and 4, leaving only enough room to draw, or else initially supported at a part only of the under face ofthe head; for example, at the inner part only of the under face of the head as by 20 in Figure 2.

Where the head is initially but `partially supported, the upper inner face 20 of the splice bar may so nearly approximate the contour of Vunderface 12 that it will ultimately wear t-o form a support for the full under face of the head, or, as in Figure 2, the greater part of the upper inner face may be maintained at all times free from engagement with the con- `tour face of thecunder face of the head as preferred. My invention is adapted to either of these conditions.

- tIn Figure 3 I show the splice bar Vas reversible, side for side having duplicate inner and outer faces and duplicate lower and upper surfaces 18 and20. It can be turned for re-use after one side has been used.

Because my invention is fitted for use with any type of standard equipment usually associated with a rail oint I have here shown the rail in position upon a tie y plate 21, which in Figures 3 and 4,"that in Figure 4 having .different ribs from that of Figure 3 and lacking its border flanges 23. lVhen used, the tie plate preferably extends approximately. the length of the rail oint.

I also show the splice bar extended to form abase flange of the bar, at 24 in Figure 4.

vIt and the tie plate are commonly secured by spikes as at 25.

Itmay be desirable to employ as a fastening` device arcuate bolts 17 similar to bolts 17 with arcuate spring washers such as 26, inFigure 2, or suitable arcuate nuts, rather than those having fiat surfaces under the bolthead, and flat under surfaces of the nut, as shown in Figures 1 and 3. Arcuate bolts have the advantage of reallocating the stresses to a direction substantially that of the major axis of the bolt, with each change in the anguiar relation between the used splice bar and rail. In any event lock washers will ordinarily be used under the nuts of which washers the ordinary form forA plain bolts and nuts is shown in Figure 3.

Between the under-supporting rocking engagement of the bar and the hea-d support select-ed, a wide range cf weights and contours of bars may be used, ofwhich I have intended to present but two examples. It matters not so far as my invention is concerned, whether it be used with a bar having a relatively heavy head-engaging portion, or having a relatively heavy base, or lwhat its weight may be per unit length. Y

In the broad aspects of the invention this contour example is to be regarded as typical only, and as representing any contour which will serve the purpose of connecting Vthe socleting lower-engaging surface and the op- 1rative head-engaging upper surface of the The section of the bar selected is not intended to be stronger nor more rigid against vertical and horizontal strains than the type of bar lupon which the tests, hereinafter referred to, were made. Its advantage as compared'with eXisting bars is, therefore, due as more fully later explained to the prevention of lateral displacement of the base of the bar and as a result of this a substantial prevention of wear and maintenance of a predetermined fixed and preferably horizontal zone with respect to which the moments of resisting effort are resolved.

As shown the'neutral axis 27 and the bolt lao axis 28 do not quite agree. This is not vital but merely represents a good construction well suited for use with any variations of my rail joint.

The reversible bar forms a. desirable and effective addition to my main invention involving, as to each side, the full principles of my main invention.

In the prior art it has been customary to eXert upward supporting pressure by the splice bar against the under surface ofthe rail head by wedge action against the flange of the rail. Necessarily this involves inward movement of the bottom of the bar toward the web and permits such movement. This has permitted lateral deformation and excessive wear of the splice bar for a reason which appears to be best explained as follows The stresses which `affect the joint are greatly accentuated when the weight of the load passes from one rail end to the other. Starting with this situation, and considering one side (one bar) only, downward pressure on the rail heads tends to force the rail flanges downwardly, without appreciably laterally displacing the upwardly directed surface of the splice bar from contact with the under surfaces of the rail heads. Downward movement of the rail flanges near the rail ends re sults in a reduction of vertical pressure oi the base of the splice vbar against the rail fianges. This takes away a part of the lateral support otherwise given by the flange to the base of the bar.

Und-er pressure of the track bolts, the base of the splice bar at this point is consequently forced inwardly toward the web until the lateral support attained and the tortional resistance of the bar together stop the movement. The pressure on the rail head, and the corresponding downward movement of the rail flange grow progressively less toward the extremities of the splice bar, so that the base of the splice bar is not free to move inwardly toward the web a corresponding distance and at the extremities tends very slightly to move outwardly.

On the other hand, when car trucks or wheels engage the rail at the same time on opposite sides of the oint there is a reverse condition, since the rail joint is supported from below by one or more ties and the effect is equivalent to that of a load pressing upwardly through the ties. The effect upon the pressures exerted between the bar faces and the rail is in this case opposite to the above but is less pronounced.

In Figures 5, 6 and 7 the central dot and dash lines indicate the central lines longitudinally of the rails; the solid lines B-B,

B-B and B2-B2 on opposite sides, par-l allel with lines A-A represent the normal positions o-f the inner longitudinal faces of the bars at the heads, webs and bases, respec tively, in Figures 5, 6 and 7. The dotted ends, using supports beneath the joint at appropriate distances from the rail ends.

Where these lines C-(, C-C andCL-C2 liev further awa-y from the center lines A-A than lie the lines B-B, B-B and BZ-B2 in the several figures it is intended to indicate that the bar surfaces tend to move and with existing joints do move outwardly away from the rail, this movement being viewed as positive g and where these lines C-C, C and (L-C2 lie nearer to the line A-A than do lines B#B, B-B and B2-B2 it is intended to indicate that the bar surfaces tend to move and with existing joints do move inwardly toward the rail. This movement is viewed as negative As will be seen from the positions of the lines C-C, the bar heads are outwardly bent so as to be moved away from'the rail very slightly at the middle of the lengths of the bars and to be moved toward the. rail slightly at the ends, showing avery slight distortion of the bar.

rlhe positions of lines C-C in Figure 6 show that the webs of the bars are displaced inwardly very slightly throughout almost the entire lengths of thebars, with a slight outward displacement at the extreme ends of the bars.

At the bottoms of the bars along their bases however, the distortion shown by the positions of the lines CZ-.C2 is very much more marked than in either of the other cases and opposite to that at the heads of the bars in that the bars are distortedy inwardly throughout almost their entire lengths and outwardly at the extreme ends only. Though my rail joints have other advantages, it is the objectionable effects of distortion at the bottom, inwardly in this instance,rbut out kwardlyv under some circumstances, as will later appear, which l mainly aim to prevent.

TheV lines D-l`), D-D and D2-D2 in Figures 5, 6 and 7 represent respectively the positions of the faces of the heads, webs and bases, respectively, due to distortions of 'the bars, upon the same basis of indication but where the load from above straddles the joint and where for present purposes it is viewed as if the load were impressed at the joint upwardly from the bottom instead. From Figure 5 we find .that the distortion opposite the heads of the bars as seen by lines D-D is less but in the same direction and nearly parallel in the curve shown to that where the pressure is from the top (curve C-C).

As shown in vFigure 6l the line l '-D of distortion of the web due to this upward pressure from the bottom at the joint is substantially parallel to that apparent in line CL-C for pressure from the top, but shows llo itx

a greater inward distortion opposite the web ot the bar than where the pressure is from the top.

From Figure 7 it is apparent that the distortion represented by D2D2 due to pressure at the joint upwardly from the bottom is opposite to that due to pressure downwardly at the top, as represented by curves CgCg, but is less in amount than in these latter curves except at the ends, where it er1A ceeds the. distortion shown by curves C2-C2.

As the loads roll over the oint there will, of course, be many deviations from these curves with dilierent distortions and different comparative distortions according to the positio-ns of the loads.

These and other experiments indicate that the movement of the bars is chiefly inward the bases of the bars; that outward movement tales'place also and that it also takes place. chiefly at the bases of the bars.

rThe movements of the splice bars caused by these distortions are objectionable for many reasons and the extent and therefore the objectionable character is increased by the additional distance due to the addition of the outward movement.

By initially seating the base of the bar firmly against an abutment-for which purpose l prefer to use the joint at l1-movement inwardly is prevented by the abutment, here the wall at the joint. and movement outwardly is prevented by tightening of the bolt. For my purposes, therefore, it makes little difference whether the tendency be for outward or inward movement of the base of the bar since l prevent both and hold the base of the bar i'irmly in position.

By holding the bar firmly in its seat at the place where fluctuating stresses develop l not only maintain the position of the bar much more constantly than in the prior art, but l avoid the wear due to suchrnovement as would otherwise take place and avoid conflicting stresses upon the track bolts which would otherwise be present.

Prevention oi' movement of the base has a considerable advantage in reducing the distance to which the joint can rock vertically under the application of the load. Increasthe firmness of the joint against humping further reduces the tendency ol the splice bars to move inwardly and outwardly.

ln thus protecting the splice bars against movement and the bolts against fluctuation in their stresses I am nevertheless able to provide by adequate take-up for such wear as is inevitable by drawing in the splice bars at the top.

ln showing the two positions selected where the pressures are effectively outward and upward at the joint it has not been the intention to attempt to show the many variations of distortion which may be exerted between these limits nor because f pressures lcan best be lrelieved by preventing or materially reducing` the much more considerable coincident base movement.

The fact that distortion of the bar takes place is quite material, butr the eXtent and direction of it'concerns my invention chiefly in so far as in individual cases it accentuates the importance of mv invention. l prevent the distortion, whatever theamount or vdirection, and l stop it at the points where it is most objectionable, namely, at the bases of the splice bars.

The advantage which I have previously approached from a standpoint purely mechanical as aflecting the extent of wear and disturbance of the physical positions of the bars, which disturbance I minimize mechanically, can be approached from a wholly different standpoint which shows much more important advantages attained by me from the standpoint of maintenance of a desirable distribution of metal about a neutral zone.

lr each splice bar be considered as a horizontally extending beam loaded from the head downwardly upon its upper side (corresponding tothe C-O group of curves in Figures 5, 6 and 7) or pressed from the center upwardly (asin the D-D set of curves, Figures 5, 6 and 7) and in either case supported on the opposite side at distances 'from the center, it will have the usual beam neutral zone between the upper longitudinally extending fibers under compression and lower longitudinally extending fibers under tension. Within this zoner fibers are neutral, i. e., neither under pressure nor under tension.

In the design of bars hitherto it has been customary to assume that this zone or plane is generally horizontal. Experiments have determined that this is not necessarily a fact and that when loaded, so far as the zone may be represented by a true plane it varies from the horizontal in ordinary splice bar rail joint construction in accepted use by as much as degrees.' Y

Since the distribution of the metal in the splice bars has been based upon the idea that this zone will remain horizontal the distortion of the angle of the zone seriously alters the effect of the metal so distributed and malres it quite desirable that 'the designer place the metal properly with respect to the angular position of the zone as it actually exists or that the zone be maintained in approximately the plane which was assumed when ther design was made.

The half section of Figure 8 illustrates upon a prior art joint the deviation under load of the axis or zone 27 about which the resisting moments are resolved. For design purposes this axis or zone has always been assumed to be horizontal but in actual tests on different joints has shifted under load as much as the approximately 50 degree clockwise shift shown at 29.

I have discovered that there is a close relation between the lateral distortion of the bar and the causes which enter into it on the one hand and the deviation of this neutral zone from a nearly horizontal position on the other hand, and that this neutral zone of fibers substantially Without compression and without tension which has been made the basis for the distribution of the metal of the bar upon the assumption that it was horizon- Ytal may in fact be maintained substantially horizontal or corrected to very much more nearly horizontal than at present is the fact by retention of the base of the bar against lateral distortion. I have discovered that inward lateral distortion can be prevented easily and fully by nesting the base ofthe bar against the rail web or rail web fillet or a combination of the two and that outward dis` tortion of the bar can be prevented in so far as it may be desirable by increasing the bolt tension to a tension higher than the pressure exerted outwardly by the base iiange.

It will be evident that the variation of the angle of the neutral zone, dierent for diifer ent shapes of bar and for different loads constitutes a disturbing factor in the design of bars which, because of its variation with different loads cannot be taken care of properly in any other way than by stabilization of the neutral zone.

Whether my invention be applied to stabilization of condition in the joint alone or to improvement of design and in maintenance within the joint of the relations which have been the determining factors in the design it will be evident that the same method and means of correction apply namely by holding the base of the bar firmly against lateral distortion during the use of the bar.

In view of my invention and disclosure variations and modifications to meet individual whim or particular need will doubtless become evident to others skilled in the art, to obtain part or all of the benefits of my base flange and a web, a splice bar engaging with the rail at the lower portion of the web pivoting about said engagement and initially engaging the under surface of the head of the rail over a narrow transverse range of under head surface and free from engagement with the head throughout the rest of the transverse area of the under part of the head and a` fastening device pivotally engaging with the splice bar, adapted to tighten the splice bar against the rail and to take up wear by inward movement of the upper part of the splice barxbeneath the rail i head.

2. In a rail joint, a rail 'having a web and a base flange, a splice barfhaving engagement with the rail at or about the joint between the web and flange and engagement with the under surface of the head of the rail close to the web but allo-wing room for take-up for wear and free from engagement of the outer upper surface of the splice bar with the adjoining outer under head surface of the rail Si? and a fastening device rigidly positioning the splice bar against the rail.

3. In a railroad rail joint, a rail, a splice bar whose base is socketed at the base of the under surface of the rail head, the lsplice bar being adapted to rock about the socket pro- Y gressively toward the rail web as permitted by wear on the surface of the rail head, and a track bolt passing through the splice bar and rail web, adapted to tighten the .splice bar applying its pressure to the bar along an arcuate contact.

4. In a rail joint, a'rail, a splice bar socketed at its base against the joint between the rail flange and web, exerting pressure by wedge action against the under surface of the rail head, and a bolt adapted to tighten the wedge action of the splice bar against the rail head and applying its pressure along an arcuate surface of the splice bar.

EUGENE W. CARUTHERS. 

